South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Dolphins blindly stumbling
Organization shows no vision in trying to right ship
For one brief, hopeful moment last spring, the Dolphins had a voice of vision. Owner Steve Ross wanted to draft a quarterback. He saw tomorrow, and it wasn’t this rosy affair like his hired football minds fantasized.
But Ross gave way to their collective expertise, any vision of a bigger picture faded, and so here people are at midseason debating whether defensive coordinator Matt Burke should be fired.
Look, I get it. You’ve reached that desperate point in another season where the sole hope is not to puke watching a game. You puked watching Burke’s defense again Thursday night in the loss to the Texans. You want to pounce on someone like lions do a slowmoving antelope on the African plains.
But don’t get distracted into thinking Burke’s exit solves anything beyond making sideline tablets safe again. Not at midseason. Not when the collected lesson of this tortured Dolphins millennium is how you shouldn’t be distracted by shiny baubles, bit players and secondary issues.
Last offseason, the Dolphins re-made their defense with moves like passing on Ross’s quarterback and drafting defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick with the first pick. Fitzpatrick has been the most impactful Dolphins rookie since tackle Jake Long a decade ago. He’s been great.
But what the Dolphins’ brass really decided there was how close they were to winning, how sure they were tweaks were needed and how quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the present and future of
everything they did.
The relevant question: Does anyone have big-picture vision in this organization to build a champion? That’s the real issue, not firing a defensive coordinator in midseason, just as it has been the prime issue for two decades inside the Dolphins.
It’s not just that the roster talent hasn’t improved in three years under the front office of Mike Tannenbaum and Chris Grier. It’s not just that coach Adam Gase hasn’t shown an ability to build a staff, set a culture, see the big picture — do much anything, really, except draw up some good plays.
It’s what everyone can see ahead for the Dolphins:
A bad news conference is ahead involving Ross discussing change.
A long, offseason therapy season is ahead for fans.
If you don’t see that coming with some remorse in Year Three of a stumbling regime, then you haven’t been around very long. But change isn’t the issue here. Vision is. And we’ll see pretty quickly if anyone has any beyond the natural attempt to save their jobs.
The Dolphins should be sellers as next week’s trade deadline approaches. They aren’t going anywhere this year. Sell anyone. Sell (almost) everyone.
Receiver DeVante Parker had a big game Thursday. Bully for him. Trade him for a third- or fourth-round draft pick before he tweaks a hamstring, breaks a fingernail or demands big money this offseason.
Anyone want a good cornerback? Xavien Howard should be available. You might cringe at that. He’s good, not yet great, as Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins proved again. And you’ll have to pay him big money to keep him. What this organization needs to do is collect chips to be ready to find the player that can change their fortune. Maybe that’s this offseason Maybe not. But the vision should be finding a quarterback this offseason and a handful of players to help him succeed (keep tackle Laremy Tunsil).
That’s where it all starts. Don’t even think these final eight games are some kind of referendum on Tannehill when he’s missed 21 of 26 games to injury, turns 31 next year and is an eternal step away from where he needs to be.
That referendum is over. And, really, that’s the football sin of this Dolphins regime. They just tried to be good enough to make the playoffs with Tannehill rather than starting over at some point and trying to be great.
Look what Kansas City’s Andy Reid did in dumping a good quarterback in Alex Smith to trade up for a great one in Patrick Mahomes. Look what Philadelphia’s Howie Roseman did in using the Dolphins pick to trade up for Carson Wentz. Look what Minnesota did in buying Kirk Cousins.
Ross, you see, had the right idea last draft, even if all his football people thought he had the wrong quarterback in Lamar Jackson. Maybe so. Maybe it was the wrong year. But he was trying in a way his football minds haven’t in three years.
The Dolphins will keep talking of change and righting this season. But words and effort without vision are useless. The Dolphins’ forever walk through the wilderness says as much.